Breaking Incredibly Good

OOH THE DARK KNIGHT RISES! It’s going to be the biggest thing this July! Tom Hardy’s going to play Bane! Let’s speculate about how he’s going to perform like we did with Heath Ledger and then be outrageously surprised at the outcome! I can hardly contain my excitement; excuse me whilst I urinate all over my dog! Stop.

Granted, the last Nolan Batman film was cinematic dynamite. I would give anything to see a film as spectacular as that again. I fear, however, in all the uproar for this Batman sequel, we’ve left something very important dropping in the dark: the return of ‘Breaking Bad’. I know what you’re thinking, “What the ducking cluck is ‘Breaking Bad’?” Cease and desist from your life of living in the world’s most isolated cave. Accompany me on this glorious adventure into this appetizing slice of television chocolate cake.

‘Breaking Bad’ is the greatest show on TV that you’re not watching. Unless you are, then this article is merely another tool of conversion for the ignoramuses of your social group, in an effort to switch them over to the dramatic goodness. The show stars Bryan Cranston, formerly known for his portrayal of Hal, Malcolm’s father in ‘Malcolm in the Middle’. If you remember him, be aware that he takes it to an infinitely higher level in ‘Breaking Bad’. In this show Cranston plays Walter White, a Chemistry teacher struggling to make ends meet. Being financially crippled, Walter is also working on the side as a car wash attendant to provide for his family. Dominated entirely by his bitch-wife Skyler and employer Bogdon, Walter is a man pushed to his wit’s end. So far this all sounds like riveting drama, right? Wrong. Things get real when Walter is diagnosed with lung cancer. Being the sole breadwinner of the White household, and too prideful to ask for help, White begins anew in the drug trade, using his chemistry genius to cook crystal meth. I’m not going to spoil it for you, but over the course of the show we see a personality with the might of an amoeba transformed into Godzilla.

The writing is absolutely inspired. The creator Vince Gilligan goes above and beyond with the drama. With moral ambiguity cloudier than urine with cystitis, it really is edge-of-your-seat stuff. Every episode somehow manages to significantly up the ante to the one shown previous. It’s one of the only masterpieces where the hero becomes the villain, with the audience still backing him all the way to the lab. Every detail of the show is beautifully executed in an explosion of symbolism, foreshadowing and just utter brilliance. From a subtle sentence prophesising an entire series, to the colour of the clothes they wear, ‘Breaking Bad’ is as calculated as the chemical processes it undertakes. With layering accomplished to such a magnificent extent, watching it all over again gives it entirely new meaning.

With the first half of the final season being only days away, it’s worth checking through the old episodes. By no means is this a show that you can simply play ‘catch-up’ with. You’ll be more lost than a nun in a sex shop. With a confirmed ending, it’s relieving to know the creators will not string out umpteen thousand episodes in the name of money over quality. It has also allowed for us to see how talented as an actor Cranston really is. Centre stage as Walter White, Cranston has secured five awards for his performance as outstanding lead drama actor, with three of those being Emmy’s.

With such a reputation and such a convincing article you’d be a fool not to get involved. So what are you waiting for? Treat yourself. Lock your doors, pull up a chair and smoke up a big fat bowl of ‘Breaking Bad’.